Adoption Journey... where are we at in the process?

Hello!!
LONG POST ALERT! :)

It has been awhile since I posted here, but I wanted to update that these last several weeks have been eventful!

8/3/16  Our dossier paperwork officially went to China!
8/12/16 Our dossier logged into China's system!
9/23/16 We got LSC!!! That's Letter Seeking Confirmation! China said YES and sent us an official letter confirming we still want to adopt Yang Ao Fang. We signed that beautiful paper and sent it back to China to begin the final steps of our paperwork journey.
9/29/16 Our I800 application went USCIS (US Immigration) and there it is waiting to shuffle around to the appropriate desks and grant us our approval on the US side to bring Yang Ao Fang to the US.  The average wait time is about 2 weeks (we are over a week in!)

We are getting SOOOO close to bringing home our little girl.  Yang Ao Fang... soon to be Annika Faith Sappington!  We are still hoping for a November travel date, but we also know it could end up being in December.... it all depends on how fast our governments work. :)

On October 2nd, we had a HUGE fundraising event at our church called Family Play Day.  We had a HUGE turnout between our church and our community.  We raised almost $5,500!!!! God is good!  We want to thank everyone who was a key part in making Family Play Day successful.  And thank you to everyone who came out from near and far to support us!

So, several people have asked lately, "Where are you at in your adoption costs? What do you have left to raise?"  We also get asked at times how much it costs to adopt from China.  The short answer: approximately $30,000 (give or take).  Because we are taking Jadyn with us, the cost will be a bit more, so we are anticipating about $34,000. To date, we have raised over $22,000 in our journey!  God is GOOD!  We will need roughly about $12,000 more to fully fund our adoption costs.  What's left to pay, you ask?  We are mostly down to travel costs and in-country costs....

In-Country Fees:
Orphanage donation: ~$6,000 (***soon to be paid)
Provincial Civil Affairs Child documents: $350
Provincial Justice Office Notary documents: $650
Annika's Passport: $150
Annika's Medical Exam Fee: $275
Domestic Flights In-country: ~$4,000
Hotel: ~$1,500
International airfare (3 people Roundtrip): ~$4,500
Internation airfare (Annika's 1-way ticket): ~$1,000
In-country driver/Ground Transportation/Guide Service Tipping: ~$600
Beijing 3-day tour: ~$1,700

Approximate total cost left: $20, 725
Several costs we can only estimate, and we do so on the high end, because we just won't know exactly how much until we get closer to travel time.  The Orphanage fee and hotel costs are estimates since it will be based on the currency rate at the time of travel.

So, what are we doing to reach our goal? We will soon have $6,000 available to us through our matching grant through Lifesong for Orphans/ Chosen & Dearly Loved Foundation (Praise the Lord!).  ***We plan to use that $6,000 to cover the Orphanage donation. THAT brings our remaining costs down to $14, 725! Several months ago, Jay and I got a Marriot Rewards credit card and began using that to pay our monthly bills and daily living expenses on it (and pay it at the end of each month) to take advantage of a promo Marriot had going and we were able to rack up OVER 110,000 points that we will be able to use for free hotel stay in Beijing and Guangzhou! That should greatly reduce our hotel costs! (We will be staying in a total of 3 places in our China travels.)  We are also currently waiting to hear back from at least 2 more grant applications we sent in and we are hoping to get great news from them soon!

Lastly, I want to talk about the Beijing 3-day tour.  We have been given the option to visit some of China's greatest landmarks and experience some of it's incredible history!  Since we have never been to China, we have the opportunity to show Jadyn (and experience for ourselves) the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Olympic sites, Tiananmen Square and more!  Part of our desire to do so is to learn and experience Annika's heritage and bring home with us that experience.  It is an optional package and we chose to go for it.  Jadyn turns 9 years old in November... what a great birthday present, right? :)

So, if you're still reading at this point, congratulations on making it this far.  I'm sure I lost a few people when I started talking numbers. :) We are continuing to pray and ask the Lord how He would have us finish funding our adoption costs.  Please pray with us that we would have wisdom and hear from Him what we should do financially to finish this race.  We know HIS timing is perfect and HIS ways are the best.  He is the One who led us on this path of adoption and He has been continually faithful to provide each and every step.  We know He will continue to do so.  :) However He decides to fund the rest of our adoption costs, the end result will be glorious: bringing our daughter home. <3

"If you have a heart for adoption, don't let fear stand in the way."
Doug Chapman

HOPE says God can,
FAITH says God will!

“It is important to realize we adopt not because we are rescuers. No. We adopt because we are rescued.” — David Platt

Want to see our financial journey thus far?  Check out our crowdrise:
https://www.crowdrise.com/adoptingannikajourneyoflove



To God be the glory in our life,

Shannon & Jay

My God is so good

I just have to say how GOOD my God is! 

He is faithful and continues to give us reminders and bless us along the way that this is HIS journey that He has called us to. This adoption is more than just a family gaining a daughter and sister.... It's about FAITH and trusting Him and in ALL things... Giving Him praise and glory. Some things have not gone along with the hopes and timeline I have set.... But my ways are not always His ways... And His ways are MUCH much better than mine! I have had hopes we would have received more grants by now, but we haven't. Oh, don't get me wrong- we still could and there are still several we are waiting to hear from. But, I had let myself get discouraged with the grants that were a 'No'. I've been inwardly starting to panic and fret (just being honest). "Is God really going to provide all that we need for adopting this little girl?" And continually, God reminds me to trust Him... To have FAITH!
He's got this! 

In a matter of a week, God has provided a bunk bed, a dresser, and the money to pay off one of our invoices from our adoption agency. But that's not all! He has ALSO provided for an upcoming and BIG fundraiser we are doing called Family Play Day on October 2nd (Mark your calendars cuz it's going to be AWESOME) .... It's going to be a FUN Family event day with bounce houses, BBQ, Hawaiian Shaved Ice, volleyball tournament, BIG raffle items and more! Through amazing support of our church and adoption support ministry- the BBQ and bounce houses are paid for, AND Islanders Shaved Ice will be there and they're donating all of their profits at our event to bringing Annika home. 

So, tell me... How good is our God? He is indeed VERY good and faithful. 

To God be the glory in this journey of love.

Annika means favored.....she is favored and LOVED by a faithful Heavenly Father who saw fit to honor us to be her family. I am humbled. I am amazed. I am blessed.

Doing it debt-free....

Jay and I have been working to become debt-free for many years.  At one time, for about a month, we actually were completely debt free (minus mortgage and car).  It was a glorious 2 seconds and then, we went downhill back again.  It doesn't take long for credit card debt to pile up.  The washing machine breaks, the trim needs painting, rotting wood replaced, the car breaks down, your budget runs out before the week's necessities are bought....and so on.  Every week, we strive to remain on budget and continue our very tiny baby steps out of debt.  Most weeks, we feel like we are spinning our wheels as our progress is ever so slow, but it's just that.... progress! Jay and I take turns reminding  and encouraging each other to celebrate the small steps and rejoice in small victories.  It's the small the victories that add up to BIG differences!

Last year, we sold our previous home we had been renting out since we moved to North Richland Hills.  We used a portion of the profits to make a big chunk in our debt payoff, some of the profits for various home improvements (that trim finally got painted outside), and we set aside a bit for 2 upcoming trips we knew were coming (still reliving that amazing Jamaican trip! And the family reunion in Missouri was one of the best yet!)  Last night, Jay and I were going over our budget for the week and upcoming months, knowing school will soon be starting and all.  It's back to our weekly tight reins, but I looked at Jay and said, "It sure feels good to have paid for the last two trips with cash." I can't remember the last time (not counting Jamaica), that we went on a trip and DIDN'T use the credit card! It feels good and is a taste of what is to come for us.  We are far from being debt free, and we continually mess up.  BUT, we will keep plugging on and forward.  Every day is a new day to start over, to dust yourself off and move forward.  Sometimes, it's 1 step forward, 2 steps back, but keep pursuing, because then it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back, and then it's 3 steps forward..... celebrate the small victories.  Appreciate the moments of success, no matter how small.

And now, as we have stepped out in faith into the journey of adoption, it has been another test of our faith (okay, of MY faith) to trust the Lord and not the power of the credit card.  There have been a few times here and there where we have used it to mail this, overnight that and such, but we.... no, I [emphasis on I] am really learning to not just grab that piece of plastic and swipe when it comes to paying for adoption expenses.  Jay, on the other hand, stays mostly calm about the financial part of it.  He amazes me.  Once we decided to step out in faith on this journey, he has had a peace about the financial part of it, knowing the Lord will provide.  Me? I inwardly panic at times wondering how we are going to pay the next amount due.  But Jay, he is my anchor in all of this, knowing that the Lord is our Rock and our Provider.  Loving another child, welcoming her into our home? That's the easy part of this journey! Trusting the Lord to provide financially so we don't go into further debt? That's the test of my faith....and it's just one of the ways the Lord will shine His glory in all of this.  Just as we are parents who strive to provide good things for our children, the Lord is our Heavenly Father and He provides all that we need as His Children.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"
Matthew 7:11

Praising my Heavenly Father that HE is our Provider and He has nothing but good for our family!
Thanking Him for His mercies that are new every morning!

Life Goals....
One day, we will be debt free.
One day, we will be able to financially bless others who are adopting.
One day, we will take all 4 of our kids on a dream vacation to Disney Land/World (I don't care which, I've never been to either!) and we will pay cash for it.

Every day, we want to glorify the Lord in every aspect of our lives, including our finances.

What have we been doing lately and how is the adoption process going?

Life has been a whirlwind and a blur these days, from making summertime memories to filling out grant applications to planning a family reunion to a certain handsome little fella turning 7 years old!

Eli turned 7 on June 16th.  SEVEN!!! We celebrated with lots of family and friends at the park with donuts and juice!  He had been asking for MONTHS to go skating, so we also rounded up a handful of his friends and hit the local skating rink up for a couple hours.  He had a blast and as we rounded out his birthday week with some Sonic shakes, he told Jay and I that this was one of his best birthdays ever.  He melts my heart faster than ice cream melts in the sun!

We have a family reunion coming up that has been over 2 years in the planning.  It's on my mom's side of the family and she is the youngest of 7 siblings... SEVEN! It's going to be a BIG reunion! :) The last one we had was when Jadyn was just 8 months old.  We are looking forward to seeing lots of old and new faces and making new memories! The past 2 years have flown by since we first began planning this and now we will soon be in the Ozarks!  This has given me something to look forward to and helped keep me busy and not twiddling my thumbs in the adoption process!

Speaking of the adoption process.... where are we at in it?

We are currently awaiting our I800A Approval to go through authentication process.  We are half way through the waiting process of authentication (it went to the Secretary of State and will go to the Consulate next).  Once our adoption agency has that freshly authenticated paperwork back, all of our documents will officially be DTC (Dossier To China)!  Man, I can't wait for that day when we can say we are DTC!! That is a HUGE milestone in the adoption process, and once you hit that milestone, you are usually traveling 4-5 months later!  We anticipate traveling around November to bring our little girl home!  We recently got an updated video and pictures of Annika and we were THRILLED to learn she now knows she is being adopted!!!  I put together a photo storybook that introduces us to her and it will be delivered here next week.  I've had the words translated to Mandarin and when I send our first care package to her, she will have the photo album written in both English and Mandarin, along with her set of goodies from us!  In the midst of all this, we have been filling out numerous grant applications and continuing our t-shirt fundraiser.  In all, we are over 1/3 of the way into our adoption costs.  That means, over $10,000 has come in through donations, fundraisers, and our first approved grant!  God is good!!!  We continue to trust Him to provide ALL of the funds needs to bring our little girl home.  If you feel led to donate, our crowd rise fund link is still active too.  You can donate here.  We know that it is His desire to bring Annika into our family and we know He will meet every need we have for our little girl.  Just this week, we decided that the boys will be staying home and Jadyn will travel with us to get her sister when we go.  All 3 of the kids are thrilled with this decision.  Eli can't wait to have adventures with his friends for 2 weeks and Asher is the same. (Whatever big brother is thrilled about, so is he! Ha!)  Jadyn has been praying from the get go that she would get to travel with us, and the Lord confirmed it in our hearts over the last week.  She is ECSTATIC to travel to China and bring home her sister!  We went this week to get her passport application turned in and her picture taken.  This big sister was all smiles! 

To God be the glory in all the we do....

Love Never Fails,

Shannon

Our progressing adoption journey...

Summer is in full swing around here!  We've been having fun reading books, watching movies, going to NRH20, having sleepovers and playdates, and battled a summer cold or two.  June has lots of reasons for us to celebrate around here... Father's day, family birthdays and Eli turned 7!  We have had a great time making memories as a family and with friends!  I look at my children in wonder and amazement at how big they are now.  It seems like not so long ago, I was cradling Jadyn in my arms and keeping her cool during her first summer.... or watching Eli splash on his first little splash pad with his squishy chunky self erupting in giggles...... then, taking Asher to his first Rangers baseball game and carrying him in my ergo.  Time fast forwards to today where Jadyn and Eli are now 8 and 7 years old and Asher asks to be held and when I pick him up, his legs dangle to nearly my knees it seems!  As I snuggle his long body, I think to myself, "How did my baby get so big already??"  Soak up these moments, for they go fast!

These days find us celebrating each step as our adoption is progressing along.  Today, we had our fingerprinting appointment at the US Citizenship and Immigration center.  Once those clear the FBI, we should hopefully have US approval to adopt internationally!  The next big step will be all of dossier paperwork heading to China! This is a BIG milestone in the adoption journey and we are sooooo close! :)  I've been working on filling out grant applications these days.  So far, we've been awarded our first grant and hoping for more!  Each grant foundation has their own timeline of when they review applications and distribute funds, and each application is time consuming to fill out.  Needless to say, it's pretty draining filling out your life story, financial status, and why you want to adopt, but it is sooooooo worth it when you get that notification that you are being selected to receive a grant from that Foundation! So the more grants I fill out, the better our chances of receiving more funds to cover adoption costs! Jay and I also know that regardless of how many applications we fill out, it is ultimately in the Lord's hands and we know that He will continue to provide, just as He has been faithful to do so far!  To date, we've been blessed with just over $10,000 in donations, fundraisers and our first grant!  To God be the glory in each step!  We are over 1/3 of the way through our adoption costs and almost half way through our journey to bring Annika home!

We are continuing our shirt fundraiser (see pic below) and also have plans in the works for a Family Play Day Adoption Fundraiser in September! 

Thank you for your continued prayers and support on our adoption journey.  We are anticipating traveling in December to bring our little girl home!  Once we have received LOA (Letter of Approval) from China, we will be able to share Annika's picture on social media!

If you feel led to contribute financially, you can click on the link below or PayPal to jaysapp@gmail.com.  All money goes straight into our adoption account!
https://www.crowdrise.com/adoptingannikajourneyoflove/fundraiser/shannonsappington

Well, time to read bedtime stories and daily devotionals to the kiddos.
Have a blessed evening!

Love,
Shannon

Like pieces of a puzzle falling into place...

The Lord, MY God, answers prayer. In a matter of hours today, He brought in all the EXACT amount of money needed for the 3 post adoption visits. Since Monday, we have been praying while our adoption process was on hold. Knowing that our hands were tied and trusting God to bring it in, we have been doing what we can, and that is pray. Today... the Lord gave us the EXACT amount we needed...$1,050 has now been paid in full tonight. Now, we can get our home study report into our adoption agency's hands and move forward in our adoption process. (RELIEF!) AND, I can FINALLY start applying for GRANTS! :)


Jay and I have started reading Jesus Calling to the kids before bed each night. They love it and won't go to bed without it! They remind us if we 'try' to skip it and hurry the bedtime process! I love that the last thing they hear before bed is the Lord's Word. And it's amazing how each day's devotional has spoken directly to my heart for whatever I'm going through at the time. I started a Puzzle Fundraiser today to help raise the funds we needed to prepay for our post-adoption visits, knowing that our Home Study Report wouldn't be released until we did. Would you know that the Kids' devotional tonight was called Puzzle Pieces? How fitting! Here is what their May 18th devotional was from Jesus Calling for Kids:

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher

than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

--Isaiah 55:9 (NKJV)

I gave you an amazing mind. With it you can think great thoughts and dream great dreams. But My Mind is infinitely bigger and more amazing. My thoughts contain all of creation and the universe, all of the past, present, and future. And because I understand all things and all times, My thoughts and My ways are different from yours.

Life can be like a box of puzzle pieces--with the box top missing. When you look around at your life, all you can see are the pieces. But I see the final picture. I know how all the pieces fit together. I know how to join together all the jagged pieces of hurts and disappointments, plus the smooth pieces of victories and joys.

Trust My timing and My ways. Trust Me to fit all your pieces together into a wonderful life. And trust Me--at the end of your life--to lead you home to heaven.

Over the last couple days, I've been praying for the Lord to increase my faith. It is such a roller coaster of emotion in the adoption process! One day, you're on cloud 9 over all that God is doing to bring your little girl home, and then another day, you're worried how you're ever going to meet the next payment needed without going into debt. I've been having some heart to heart talks with my heavenly Father, bearing my heart about being worried how we are going to pay for this precious little girl to get here. And then, He reminds me, "I've got this. I've called you to adopt her. I have already made the way for her to come home. Just trust me. I've got this." His gentle reminders renew my faith, refresh my soul and bring joy to my heart. And how He uses special people in our life to show us that He is indeed making the way for our Annika to come home.... He uses people who want to bring glory to Him, who see this as not just the Sappington's journey....but everyone's journey. God has used people (and you know who you are) to help us, pray for us, to remind us of His faithfulness......Our little girl is loved dearly.


I came across this song today and instantly began crying. Another reminder that the Lord indeed has this adoption and Annika in the palm of His hand...

Adoption Update

Provided by CoolFundraisingIdeas.net

We are waiting for our Home Study Report to be finalized.  It is in the Rough Draft phase between our Home Study agency and our Adoption Agency.  Waiting is HARD!  We know we've passed and all, but waiting for paperwork to go through the proper channels and it's out of our control is TOUGH! We are so ready to have our little girl home, yet we are still so far away in our process, it seems.  Once we have the final report of the Home Study, our paperwork will then bounce from Washington's government and then to San Francisco to the Consulate.  This is about a 3-4 month process, all said and done, and THEN our paperwork will head to China for it's process there (based on current wait times).  In the mean time, Jay and I will have things to do here and there as far as paperwork goes, for the adoption process, but for now.... we wait.

It occurred to me to make a thermometer that shows the total of what has been raised so far in our journey.  We've had people donate on our Crowdrise site, donate in person, by mail and by PayPal, so I haven't been able to show a running total raised so far.... until now. :)

https://www.crowdrise.com/adoptingannikajourneyoflove/fundraiser/shannonsappington

We are also selling shirts and our first round of orders have arrived and been delivered!  I'm getting ready to send in another BIG order on Monday.  Let me know if you want in on it!

God is so good and He continues to provide at every step of the way.  Every time payment is due, the money is there!  We are so humbled and thankful to everyone who continues to support us through prayer and financially along the way! We canNOT wait for you to meet our little girl!  Lord-willing (and a faster adoption process), we will have her home before the end of 2016).